Chapter 16

Mu Chenxing had caught up on some history and biology lately—the current state of Omegas was actually a side effect of historical developments.

Over a thousand years ago, Omegas and Alphas had been minority groups.

Unlike the robust Alphas, Omegas had extremely fragile constitutions, so fragile that a simple mosquito bite, common cold, or fever could kill them at any moment, let alone childbirth.

Back then, women had been the main force in bearing life.

But due to all sorts of factors, the female population plummeted, and birth rates declined year after year. If it continued, the Alliance’s humans would face generational extinction.

To ensure humanity’s continuation, the Alliance poured massive funds and technology into improving Omegas’ constitutions while promoting Omega protection measures across society.

As a result, even though Omegas’ physiques had improved greatly by now, the notion of their utter fragility was deeply ingrained in everyone’s minds, and people treated them with utmost care.

Even the Omegas themselves, influenced by society’s tilted resources and overprotection, subconsciously believed they needed safeguarding.

But Mu Chenxing had trained for a month now, and he didn’t feel his constitution was that weak.

To be safe, when he visited the Medical Building, he asked Professor Zhang about it.

Professor Zhang replied casually, “Of course there’s been progress. You think the scientists over these thousand-plus years were just idling around? To boost birth rates, they had to improve constitutions. At the same time, they needed to lower birth accident rates and ensure Omegas could survive healthily post-childbirth… This involves tons of disciplines and big shots. So, what—you want to specialize in genetics, reproductive science, or postpartum care?”

Mu Chenxing: “…No, I just read that over a hundred years ago, the Military Academy started admitting Omegas. Why don’t Omegas have to take physical training courses?”

Professor Zhang gave a wry smile. “I actually know about that… It’s my main research focus.”

“You know Alphas are the main combat forces on the border battlefields, right?”

Mu Chenxing nodded.

Professor Zhang glanced at the quietly listening trio—Tong Xiao and the others—then sighed. “Biological evolution is uncontrollable. Alphas have shown increasingly strong combat abilities these years, but it comes with a severe side effect—sensory disorder.”

Tong Xiao and the other two frowned.

Mu Chenxing had never even heard the term before; he just listened quietly.

Professor Zhang continued, “Alphas have irregular Heat Periods, but on the battlefield, Alphas stay in high-energy burst states for extended periods, causing their Heat Periods to become erratic and frequent. They must use Suppressants.”

“The repeated suppression from Suppressants, combined with prolonged high pheromone levels, overwhelms even Alpha bodies.”

“Pheromones are hormones coursing through the entire body, so the side effects are systemic. Mild cases lead to sensory disorders and disability; severe cases…”

He swallowed the word that followed. “So Alpha service terms are limited. These years, the maximum service length has shortened even more.”

Mu Chenxing and the others were stunned.

Tong Xiao murmured, “Since 7700, the longest Alpha service term has dropped from 40 years to 20.”

Professor Zhang looked at him approvingly. “Few Omegas pay attention to this.”

Tong Xiao immediately flashed his little tiger teeth in a grin, then quickly suppressed it, remembering the heavy topic.

Mu Chenxing: “But what does this have to do with Omegas?”

Professor Zhang: “Because Alpha Suppressants are synthesized by diluting and extracting Omega Pheromones—and vice versa.”

Mu Chenxing: “…”

He really hadn’t known that.

He glanced at his equally puzzled roommates and asked, “But aren’t Suppressants ineffective?”

Professor Zhang hesitated, then said, “I’m not afraid to tell you: in recent years, our research found that using Omega Pheromones directly has fewer side effects. If compatibility is high, there might be none at all.”

Mu Chenxing and the others were baffled.

Professor Zhang: “There’s compatibility between Alpha and Omega Pheromones— but I can’t say more on the specifics.”

Mu Chenxing frowned. “So admitting Omega medics and support troops is to send them to the border for Pheromone provision?”

Professor Zhang met his gaze squarely. “One more Omega means one more Alpha saved. Of course, this assumes the Omega’s constitution passes muster. The Pheromone extraction amount per Omega isn’t high and won’t harm the body. To the Alliance, every Omega is invaluable.”

Mu Chenxing, who had participated in two peacekeeping missions, fell silent.

There were definitely side effects to Pheromone extraction, and he believed scientists would strive to minimize them… But choosing the lesser evil always felt awful.

Tong Xiao and the other two looked equally uncomfortable.

No one wanted to bust their asses to get into the top Military Academy, only to end up on the battlefield as a walking medicine catalyst.

Professor Zhang scanned them and sighed. “Do you know how much our Alliance military has shrunk compared to two hundred years ago?”

They looked at him.

Professor Zhang whispered a number.

Mu Chenxing wasn’t familiar with troop numbers here, and Tong Xiao’s group had no clue either; all four faces were blank.

Professor Zhang gave a bitter laugh. “Alpha casualty rates are too high. Sending Military Academy Alpha graduates to the border every year, plus constant conscription, still isn’t enough to fill the gaps…”

He lowered his voice again. “The border line has started contracting. Five months ago, the Alliance abandoned four undeveloped Barren Star on the Border.”

They were all stunned.

Mu Chenxing’s heart sank too.

Abandoning Barren Star now meant abandoning habitable planets later.

Perhaps because he’d told them too much, Professor Zhang’s mood soured. After checking Mu Chenxing, he shooed them out, saying he had experiments to do.

…

7:50 PM.

Mu Chenxing changed into loose athletic wear, hopped in place twice, and asked his roommates, “Who’s coming with me to Dianmo Garden?”

Tong Xiao, who was reviewing coursework, didn’t look up. “No way—tonight, it’s do-or-die with my Pathology!”

Xia Weizhen burst out laughing. “Then I’ll have a tender entanglement with my Pharmacology!”

Tao Xirui scooted toward Tong Xiao. “The drama I’m chasing updates tonight.”

Mu Chenxing sighed helplessly. “It’s just an hour, and it’s good for your bodies. If you’re not fit, how will you endure service later?”

The three played dead.

Mu Chenxing: “…Fine, I’m off.”

They instantly revived, waving cheerfully.

“Stay safe!”

“Have fun!”

“Come back soon!”

Mu Chenxing laughed in exasperation. “Lazy bums, serve you right.”

He still had to deal with that pack of Omegas tonight; his roommates could wait.

He headed out.

Jogging leisurely, he reached the Dianmo Garden entrance before eight.

Dianmo Garden was the little park closest to the Omega Dormitory District, with a small Reading Room and various entertainment facilities—a favorite strolling spot for Omegas and Betas.

But it was quieter at night.

Right now, the usually empty garden entrance was crowded with twenty or thirty Omegas, standing in small clusters and whispering.

Someone shouted, “Mu Chenxing’s here!” and they all whipped their heads around.

The curly-haired Omega group from that morning and the ones from last night were all there, faces lit with expectation and excitement.

Mu Chenxing paused, subtly sizing up the group.

They perfectly matched his initial impression of Omegas: delicate, fair-skinned, each skinnier than the last, even their demeanors carrying a hint of timidity.

Come to think of it, the least timid Omega he’d met so far was only Shen Mingshu.

Tong Xiao was a bit better, but even he had just advised Xia Weizhen to steer clear when Xu Zhicheng bullied him.

“Mu Chenxing?” The Omegas crowded forward.

Mu Chenxing snapped back, smiling. “Evening, everyone.”

The Omegas greeted him back, then bombarded him with questions about his plans, all circling the so-called OO Mutual Aid Association.

Mu Chenxing glanced around. “Not ideal for talking here. Let’s move somewhere else.”

The Omegas:

“We should find somewhere more formal.”

“Yeah, it needs to be serious!”

“There’s a Reading Room in the garden—no one should be there now.”

“The Reading Room has plenty of space!”

Mu Chenxing raised a hand to quiet them, without specifying where. “Follow me.”

The crowd buzzed excitedly. “Okay!”

Mu Chenxing led at a slow jog.

The Omegas, thinking he was eager, jogged after him, still chattering animatedly.

“Should our association be called OO Mutual Aid Association too?”

“I heard some schools’ associations have bad reps. Should we change the name?”

“That’s their president being shady, not the name’s fault, right?”

“Mu Chenxing even fought an Alpha for his roommate—he wouldn’t be like that.”

…

Mu Chenxing ignored them, jogging steadily.

They scrambled to keep up.

The Reading Room was near the entrance; a few minutes’ slow jog got them there.

Seeing the lights on, they sped up, excitement bubbling over.

But Mu Chenxing drawled casually, “Lots of classmates studying inside at this hour—don’t disturb them. Let’s find a spot up ahead.”

The Omegas nodded sagely.

“Yeah, seven or eight PM is prime self-study time.”

“Chenxing’s so thoughtful, worrying about bothering others.”

“I knew someone who’d stand up for Omegas had to be a good guy!”

Mu Chenxing kept a straight face and kept jogging.

The Omegas followed past the Reading Room.

After a few more minutes, some started flagging.

Someone called to stop; Mu Chenxing pretended not to hear.

Others tried catching up to persuade him; Mu Chenxing subtly picked up speed, instantly putting several meters between them.

The Omegas were winded now. One couldn’t keep up, then another; soon they were all panting like bellows.

Finally, one gave out, stopping to brace his knees and gasp. “I can’t… where the hell are we even going?”

One stopped, and others followed.

“Me neither—so tiring.”

“Where are we headed?”

“Back to the Reading Room?”

Mu Chenxing heard, stopped several meters ahead, and checked the time—

Just 17 minutes total.

At a snail’s pace.

He feigned knee-bracing pants too. “There’s a great spot up ahead. Rest two minutes, then push on.”

The Omegas hesitated, then nodded.

Not bad—bullied Omegas through and through. Twenty or thirty, and not one dissenting, Mu Chenxing thought.

After two minutes, once they’d recovered, he led them jogging again.

This round lasted 12 minutes.

The Omegas were wrecked; several started backing out, suggesting another day.

Mu Chenxing put on a pained face, “giving up” with apologies, blaming himself for not realizing the garden was so big.

The Omegas softened, comforting him and rescheduling for tomorrow.

Mu Chenxing inwardly rejoiced, leading them briskly back while self-flagellating with apologies, then pivoting to wax poetic about the OO Mutual Aid Association’s manifesto, bylaws, and future—nothing original, just adapted Party principles he’d studied back home, tweaked on the fly.

Patriotic elite stock, after all—a few lines hooked them, eyes sparkling, feet’s soreness forgotten as they hustled after him. It took nearly an hour to exit Dianmo Garden.

Nearly out of material, Mu Chenxing cut off. “I’ll sort this properly tonight. Same time tomorrow—we regroup and push for our prep meeting!!”

The exhausted group perked up. “Okay!”

Someone asked, “Straight to the Reading Room tomorrow?”

Mu Chenxing replied righteously, “Public space—can’t disturb others. Don’t worry, I know another spot; it’s just a tad farther than the Reading Room. We’ll head there tomorrow.”

He couldn’t resist a sly undertone: “Will it be too tough? If so, we can reschedule.”

“No, no—let’s get on it!”

“Tomorrow it is!!”

“Yeah, tomorrow!”

Mission accomplished, Mu Chenxing slipped away like greased lightning.

Drawing on years of anti-surveillance experience, he circled around and slipped back behind the group of Omegas.

“…Is Dianmo Garden really this big?”

“I don’t know. Every time I come to Dianmo Garden, I just wander near the entrance.”

“It’s huge. My legs are killing me from all this walking.”

“Mine too. I hope Chenxing can find a closer spot tomorrow.”

“But the charter he proposed is really substantial.”

“Yeah, yeah! I’ve looked into the ones from other schools—they’re all pretty simplistic. Chenxing’s is super comprehensive!”

“I can’t wait for tomorrow’s prep meeting!”

“I’ll definitely take good notes.”

…

Mu Chenxing curled his lips in a smirk.

But at that moment, his wristband vibrated.

He lowered his head and tapped open the message—

It was a navigation link from Pei Yao:

【Navigation: City A, Route 274, Street 31, No. 899】

Mu Chenxing: ?

Pei Yao: Meets your requirements.

Mu Chenxing: !!

Mu Chenxing: Thanks!!

He glanced at the Omegas ahead of him, who were starting to disperse. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked: Have you served in the military? Been to the Border?

Mu Chenxing let out a breath of relief and pressed on: With my current skills and strength, could I make it on the battlefield?

Pei Yao: …

Pei Yao: No.

Mu Chenxing wasn’t ready to give up: What if it doubled?

Unconvinced, Mu Chenxing shot back: Why not? Double that, and I could beat a ton of Alphas.

Pei Yao: Alphas and Betas haven’t gone extinct yet.

Mu Chenxing: …

Mu Chenxing: Guess getting old really does make your thinking rigid=。=

Pei Yao: .